Hello Kimmy & Rinny, thanks for having me. White Hart is a YA fantasy novel about a girl thrown into extreme circumstances. Fifteen year old Mae has to deal with her growing elemental powers, and after a devastating event is thrown into the dangerous and mysterious Waerg Woods with her pet white stag, and a pampered Prince.The White Hart series is a mix of classic coming of age fantasy with lots of action and adventure, and fairy tales with dark woods and evil Kings. It’s a story suitable for all ages.

What inspired you to write the White Hart series?

I kept thinking about a strong yet vulnerable young women riding a white stag. The character came to me first, and then the story developed around her.

Have you always wanted to be a writer? What got you started on your writing journey?

I’ve always loved to read, and I did used to write stories, but it’s something I’ve abandoned and then come back to at different times. It took me a while to develop enough confidence to actually finish a novel. It has been around four years since I started taking my writing seriously, and since then I’ve never looked back.

What appeals to you about the young adult and epic fantasy genres?

Funnily enough, I’ve never been drawn to epic fantasy at all, at least not in adult literature. I always associated it with very dense, description filled writing and hundred and hundreds of pages. But then I started reading books by authors like Tamora Pierce, Sarah J Maas and Rae Carson and I saw how fantasy could be fast and entertaining as well as taking place in a rich environment. I love making a world from scratch (it makes research a lot easier!) and I love creating magical creatures within the world. White Hart is very much influenced by film as well as books. I had 80s adventure movies in the back of my mind, like The Neverending Story and Indiana Jones.

What are some of your favourite young adult and epic fantasy books/authors and why?

Alanna – Tamora Pierce – I love this book. One of my favourite story tropes is a young girl pretending to be a boy so she can learn to fight. I have a soft spot for tough girls, and Alanna is one of my favourites. I don’t think Tamora Pierce is as well known in the UK as she is in the USA, I had to really search for her books. I’ve not finished the series yet, and am looking forward to reading more.

The Girl of Fire and Thorns – Rae Carson – This book is so different. Rae writes the classic ‘chosen one’ story, but she gives it a unique religious edge. As someone who is not religious, at first I found that aspect a little difficult to accept, but Rae writes in such an engaging and different way, that I was soon immersed in the story. This series is one of my favourites, I love the unique settings, and the confusing nature of God’s will, and how thoughtful the books are. There’s no need to have faith in order to read this book, you can be an atheist and still enjoy it.

Throne of Glass – Sarah J Maas - Another favourite character trope of mine – the dangerous and yet vulnerable young woman. You will love and hate Celaena, you will also love to hate her. She’s arrogant and violent, and yet she is loyal and loving, too. Love triangle haters might not enjoy the romantic subplot, but if you love assassins and royal drama, you’ll really enjoy Throne of Glass.

I’ve also heard great things about Terah Edun’s Courtlight series, and I haven’t finished, but enjoy Morgan Rice’s The Sorcerer’s Ring series.

What makes White Hart stand out from all the other young adult series?

It has a more fairy tale edge to it, and it’s also aimed a little younger than most YA fantasy. I want to give an opportunity for my characters to grow up, which is why they start out as a little immature. I’m also quite a mean puppet-master, so expect my poor characters to go through a lot of heartache along the way.

Sarah Dalton:

Sarah grew up in the middle of nowhere in the countryside of Derbyshire and as a result has an over-active imagination. She has been an avid reader for most of her life, taking inspiration from the stories she read as a child, and the novels she devoured as an adult.

Sarah mainly writes speculative fiction for a Young Adult audience and has had pieces of short fiction published in the Medulla Literary Review, PANK magazine, Apex Magazine and the British Fantasy Society publication Dark Horizons. Her short story ‘Vampires Wear Chanel’ is featured in the Wyvern Publication Fangtales.

She is also the author of the popular YA dystopia series 'Blemished' and the YA gothic series Mary Hades.

Monday, 29 September 2014

This is a FULL length novel with the first part of the book to be released November 10, 2014 as part of OWNED: An Alpha Anthology

Synopsis

She’s forbidden.Saffron Carlton is the darling of the big screen, starlet on the red carpet, and wife of mega producer Felix Carlton. Her life seems perfect with her overflowing bank balance, adoring fans, and luxury homes around the world. Everyone thinks they know her. But no one truly does.The silver limelight is tainted the day the couple announce their divorce.He’s flawed.Raised in squalor, fed on violence and poverty, Cas Smith knows the underbelly of the world. He’s not looking for fame or fortune. He’s looking for a job to get him the hell away from the danger of illegal fighting, and comes face to face with the woman who ran all those years ago.Unable to turn down her job offer, he agrees to be her bodyguard and personal trainer, all while she hides her secrets.He had no intention of letting her back into his heart.But neither of them were prepared for what happens when forbidden and flawed collide —fracturing the world they know, changing the rules forever.

Watch the Book Trailer

OWNED: An Alpha Anthology

Prepare to be Owned...Lose yourself in this collection of never before seen novellas from eleven best selling authors from around the globe.And the best part - they contain controlling alphas, feisty females and story lines that will have you holding your breath.

Pepper Winters wears many roles. Some of them include writer, reader, sometimes wife. She loves dark, taboo stories that twist with your head. The more tortured the hero, the better, and she constantly thinks up ways to break and fix her characters. Oh, and sex... her books have sex. She loves to travel and has an amazing, fabulous hubby who puts up with her love affair with her book boyfriends.

Sunday, 28 September 2014

Hey everyone :) We are so excited Finally it's our day on the blog tour for Predator by Janice Gable Bashman. I have some exciting news!! Janice has kindly joined us to do our first ever interview on the blog! so everyone please join us in saying Hi and Thank you to Janice. Thank you so much for being here at Opinionated Cupcakes today.

“Predator is a fast-paced, creepy page-turner! Bashman had me at the opening sentence and she’s still got me. I want more!”

Nancy Holder, New York Times Bestselling Author, The Rules

The hunt is on!

Sixteen-year-old Bree Sunderland must inject herself with an untested version of her father’s gene therapy to become a werewolf in order to stop a corrupt group of mercenaries from creating a team of unstoppable lycanthrope soldiers.

When Bree went with her scientist father to Ireland, she thought it would be a vacation to study bog bodies. She never expected to fall in love with a mysterious young Irishman and certainly never expected to become the kind of monster her father said only existed in nightmares. Dr. Sunderland discovers that lycanthropy was not a supernatural curse but rather a genetic mutation. When they return home, her dad continues his research, but the military wants to turn that research into a bio weapons program and rogue soldiers want to steal the research to turn themselves into unstoppable killing machines.

Bree’s boyfriend Liam surprises her with a visit to the United States, but there are darker surprises in store for both of them. As evil forces hunt those she loves, Bree must become an even more dangerous hunter to save them all.

Predator gives the werewolf legend a couple of new spins by introducing the Benandanti (an actual folkloric belief that certain families of Italy and Livonia were werewolves who fought against evil), as well as a modern scientific approach to mutation and the science of transgenics.

Interview

Hi Janice, thank you for letting Kimmy and myself interview you. We are very excited as you are the first interview we have done. Welcome to Opinionated Cupcakes.

Thanks for having me. I’m excited to be here.

When and what drove you to start writing/become an author?

I always wanted to write, but it took me a very long time to actually do so. One of my favorite memories is of going to the library on Saturday mornings, checking out a huge stack of books, coming home and spreading them across the floor, deciding what order to read them, and then digging in to those pages that magically transformed me to another world. Along with my love of reading came my desire to write. I’d hold a pencil in my hand and imagine what it could create (as an extension of me). Imagined the power it held. Thought of all the authors I read. I was enamored with their abilities to create wonderful stories from words, from their imaginations. To me, that was the ultimate achievement. It was something I only dreamed of doing, something I aspired to accomplish. Although I wrote character sketches and short stories while in school, I didn’t write much until about five years ago. And I haven’t stopped since. My published credits include many articles, short stories, a non-fiction book, and a novel (Predator).

What is your favourite thing about writing?

Writing is fun for me in the same way reading is fun. Writing takes me to new places, teaches me new things, and exposes me to situations, albeit fictional, that I might not otherwise encounter in real life. Some people would rather have a tooth pulled than write, but I love to write. It doesn’t matter if it’s fiction or non-fiction, an interview or a profile, a short story or a novel. There’s something special about putting words together to create something new, taking characters I’ve invented, putting them into a situation and seeing how they will react. Will they fail to live up to my (and their) expectations? Will they succeed? How will things turn out? Good writing is difficult work, but it’s also a lot of fun.

Can we have an insight into your writing process?

I always write first drafts of fiction on my laptop in an easy chair with my feet up on an ottoman in what I refer to as my library room (It’s really a small room with a chair, wall-length bookcase, and a window seat). Editing drafts are completed on a desktop computer in my office. Final drafts are edited on paper, usually at my desk. For non-fiction, it’s completely different. I write and edit non-fiction on my desktop computer, probably because I need space next to the computer to lay out pages of research for reference. The final draft, like my fiction, is completed on paper. I don’t like writing to music and prefer silence when I write, if possible.

Do you have any authors enjoy reading?

There are so many good writers out there and a lot of my favorites continually hit the best-seller lists. Great writers that should be better read include: P.T. Deutermann—thriller writer, Walter Mosley—never disappoints, Mark Bowden—non-fiction writer, and Tim O’Brien—explores the Vietnam War through his fictional characters. Young adult writers I enjoy reading are Jandy Nelson, John Green, Jonathan Maberry, Nancy Holder, Veronica Roth, Marie Lu, Jay Asher, J.K. Rowling, Allen Zadoff, Markus Zusak, and many others.

What was your inspiration or first spark of the idea to write Predator?

I came across some articles on bog bodies and was fascinated by how the bodies were preserved and how the people died – most were murdered. I’ve always been interested in science and genetic engineering. And, I researched and wrote about werewolves in Wanted Undead or Alive, so it all naturally came together, with a lot of hard work of course.

Predator gives a new spin on the folkloric belief Benandanti. How important do you think old myths and legends are in modern storytelling? Do you think there is any pros or cons from using established Myths, legends or beliefs in modern storytelling?

Myths and legends are important in modern storytelling. They have informed many stories throughout the years. The good thing about using an established myth in modern storytelling is that the reader is familiar with it. But that’s also a negative aspect. Familiarity can lead to boredom. The solution to that is easy. Investigate the folklore. Make it fresh. Find a new angle, a new twist, a new theme on the idea and give your readers something original and exciting. It doesn’t matter if it’s fiction or non-fiction. Readers don’t want to read the same old stuff. Sure they want to read about werewolves or other myths and legends, but they don’t want to read the same book over and over again. So, find a way to make your work unique, and write from the heart. If you care about your work, your readers will too.

Predator also has a modern scientific approach to mutation and the science of transgenics. Was science an established interest of yours before writing Predator? Or something new that came with writing Predator?

I’ve always been fascinated with science in general. I read magazines like Discover and Scientific American to see what new thoughts, theories, and discoveries are happening. I’m amazed at the work scientists do today and all they accomplish.

Did you have any difficulties whilst writing Predator?

I had to make sure all the science was plausible within the plot of the book. Creating super soldiers had to have a scientific base that made sense. Making sure readers understood that science amid the high pace and high action was important. I gave readers only the information they needed and not a bit more so that the science didn’t drag down the story.

Will Predator be part of a series? If so how many books do you plan to have in the series?

Predator is a stand-alone novel, but can easily spin out into a series of YA novels.

Is there anything else you would like to tell us about Predator that we might not already know?

I interviewed a world-famous geneticist to help me figure out how to create the werewolves using modern-day science and how it can go horrible wrong. I hope readers enjoy the book and that they relate to the themes of loss, hope, strength, and perseverance that inform it. Predator is fast-paced with lots of action, romance, and suspense—it should be fun read.

Do you have any advice for inspiring authors?

Writing is a job. Treat it like one. Put in the time and effort. My good friend and colleague Jonathan Maberry told me early on in my writing career, “Learn and follow the business, diversify your creative output, and learn your craft.” I think that’s solid advice.

Lastly, what are you currently working on/planning to work on?

I just finished a middle grade adventure novel and am starting work on another young adult novel.

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Thank You Janice for taking the time to answer our questions. It has been so enjoyable getting to know you better.

Janice Gable Bashman is the Bram Stoker nominated author of Wanted Undead or Alive and Predator. She is managing editor of the The Big Thrill (International Thriller Writers’ ezine). Janice lives with her family in the Philadelphia area, where she at work on her next novel. Visit her at janicegablebashman.com.

**Disclaimer - I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review**

Summary:

London, 1881Once the flames are ignited . . . Miranda Ellis is a woman tormented. Plagued since birth by a strange and powerful gift, she has spent her entire life struggling to control her exceptional abilities. Yet one innocent but irreversible mistake has left her family's fortune decimated and forced her to wed London's most nefarious nobleman.They will burn for eternity . . . Lord Benjamin Archer is no ordinary man. Doomed to hide his disfigured face behind masks, Archer knows it's selfish to take Miranda as his bride. Yet he can't help being drawn to the flame-haired beauty whose touch sparks a passion he hasn't felt in a lifetime. When Archer is accused of a series of gruesome murders, he gives in to the beastly nature he has fought so hard to hide from the world. But the curse that haunts him cannot be denied. Now, to save his soul, Miranda will enter a world of dark magic and darker intrigue. For only she can see the man hiding behind the mask.'Evocative and deeply romantic, Firelight was fascinating from the very first page' - Nalini Singh'Callihan has a great talent for sexual tension and jaw-dropping plots' - Diana Gabaldon'A sizzling paranormal with dark history and explosive magic! Callihan is an impressive new talent' - Larissa Ione'Debut author Callihan pens a compelling Victorian paranormal with heart and soul' - Publishers Weekly'A taut tale filled with sexual tension. This is one of the finest debuts of the season' - RT Book Reviews

Review:

I was offered the chance to review this book by the wonderful Clara from Little, Brown Book Group. When I first saw the cover I was instantly intrigued, then the synopsis left me wanting more. I had to read this book!

Just look at that cover, like WOW, isn't it amazing!!!

I am delighted to say that I was not left disappointed. This book covers many categories, historic, dark, paranormal, romance, suspense, dark and so much more. Everything works so well together!

The storying building around both Miranda and Archer was brilliant. Both their stories intertwined well, never letting one distract from the other. Miranda a strong willed female with a dark secret, I found myself longing for her stubbornness and mischievous nature to see what trouble she was going to get into next. The mystery of Archer and what was behind the mask, Kristen done an amazing job keeping you in suspense, teasing you with a little bit at a time to keep you wanting more. At many times, the suspense had me hanging on every word, I felt like a fish on a hook. I am not normally a huge romance fan, but I really enjoyed Archer and Miranda's relationship and how it developed. It wasn't rushed and progressed well with the story.

At the end of the book I needed more, their story couldn't be finished yet, I felt deflated. But after reading the synopsis of the next few books, I got the feeling that when I begin reading those, Archer and Miranda will be a distant memory as I will be enthralled in the next characters and their story. I can't wait to start reading the next book!

I highly recommend this series to any paranormal romance fans or if your new to this genre, give it a read, you could find your next addiction!

Congratulations to Kristen Callihan, may you have many future successes!

Thursday, 25 September 2014

Some things won’t stay buried…Drake Jefferson has been missing for years.Wanted by the very people who hired him, he left behind his job, his life, and his love to pursue a career of the criminal variety.Caitlin Saunders, Drake’s ex-wife and one of the AFP’s best analysts, is doing her best to move on after losing the love of her life. Originally a part of the team that managed Drake’s operation, she gave up her field role the day she realized he’d turned. And she hasn’t trusted a soul since.One phone call in the middle of the night will force her back to active duty - a suspect in an ongoing case has been captured and they insist they have information on Drake – they just aren’t willing to talk to anyone but her.That information will change everything she believed to be true and send her down a path that could land her in the exact position Drake ended up in.It will take every skill set she has, just to keep her head above water as she learns that right and wrong don’t always follow the rules, and that when you’re fighting for love – there are no rules.

OWNED: An Alpha Anthology

Prepare to be Owned...Lose yourself in this collection of never before seen novellas from eleven best selling authors from around the globe.And the best part - they contain controlling alphas, feisty females and story lines that will have you holding your breath.

Bestselling New Adult Romance Author, Lilliana has always loved to read and write, considering it the best form of escapism that the world has to offer. Australian born and bred, she writes romance revolving around her authentically Aussie characters as well as a biographical trilogy based on an ex-Sydney sex worker, named Angelien.Lilliana feels that the world should see Australia for more than just it's outback and tries to show characters in more of a city setting.When she isn't writing, she wears the hat of 'wife and mother' to her husband and four children. Before Lilliana turned to writing, she worked in a variety of industries and studied humanities and communications before transferring to commerce/law at university. Originally from Sydney's Western suburbs, she currently lives a fairly quiet life in suburban Melbourne.

Disclaimer

Welcome to our blog. Our opinions are purely our own and we are in no way affiliated with any of the authors, companies or manufacturers for anything we provide reviews on. We look forward to sharing our thoughts with you all!